


DROPS OF JUPITER

by theunmappedstar



Category: Keeper of the Lost Cities Series - Shannon Messenger
Genre: Explicit Language, LGBTQ Themes, Multi, Originally Posted on Tumblr, requests are open
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-28
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:14:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24419485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theunmappedstar/pseuds/theunmappedstar
Summary: LGBTQIA+ Themed KOTLC oneshots.
Relationships: Keefe Sencen/Tam Song, Sophie Foster/Biana Vacker, Sophie Foster/Keefe Sencen/Fitz Vacker, Sophie Foster/Linh Song
Comments: 11
Kudos: 53





	1. hair (sophiana)

**Author's Note:**

> requests for this are open!

"Come on, it'll be fun."  
  


Sophie blushed at her overly enthusiastic girlfriend and the way she was watching her with some sort of mischievous smile. Sophie couldn't stand when she smiled at her that way, and she just seemed to know that it got under the blonde girl's skin.  
  


It wasn't unnerving or anything, it just. . . Sent heat pooling in places it probably shouldn't have.  
  


"I don't understand what it is with you and hair," Sophie mumbled, non-verbally giving in to Biana's terms.  
  


She clapped her hands excitedly, knowing that she had broken Sophie. "Come sit over here," she beckoned, patting the space or carpet between her legs.  
  


Sophie shook her head, blushing as she turned around and scooched backwards. She felt her girlfriend's fingers undo her ponytail and begin to comb through her tangled hair, and it sent a jolt of electricity through her body.  
  


Especially when her fingertips grazed the nape of her neck.  
  


"I like doing makeup and clothes, too," Biana reminded. "Fitz used to let me dress him up when we were younger. He had a favourite dress and I always would colour-coordinate shoes with it and makeup shades. . ."  
  


The hypnotic way Biana was combing through her hair almost made her miss the last statement. Sophie smiled, trying to imagine her Cognate and girlfriend all young and innocent, playing dress-up in Everglen's hallways and lavish bedrooms. "Aw," she cooed. "That's so cute."  
  


Biana leaned forward and kissed Sophie's jawline, eyes shining. "You're cute."  
  


Sophie never knew how to respond to the way Biana just. . . did things like that. She tended to spontaneously do something adorable - or, dare she say, hot - without even realizing the way that it affected Sophie.  
  


Or maybe she completely realized and did it solely for that fact and her own personal amusement.  
  


"Stop," Sophie half-whined, her face on fire as she felt Biana begin to pull her hair back.  
  


"Never," Biana laughed, twining and twisting her hair. "Not until you believe it."  
  


"You're stupid," Sophie mumbled, heat blossoming all over her skin.  
  


"Making you feel loved isn't being stupid," Biana corrected, running her hands through Sophie's scalp again, making the other girl unwillingly melt.  
  


"Well, it makes me feel weird," Sophie said, her whole body practically on fire as Biana finish tying her hair up. Biana moved beside her, lifting up her hand and brushing the cascading, stray strands of hair behind Sophie's ear so that they framed her face.  
  


"That feeling isn't called weird," Biana said. "That's you being appreciated and loved. And if that feels weird, then that means I'm not complimenting you enough or something."  
  


"Oh, you're doing that plenty," Sophie assured, involuntarily leaning into the hand Biana brushed against her cheek.  
  


The beautiful, dark-haired Vacker giggled, eyes glittering. "Then maybe we should just do this more often. I can be around you, we can hang out and talk about the stupid stuff, I can do your hair and brush some eyeshadow on those pretty lids, get you into a dress. . ."  
  


"Mm," Sophie mumbled, leaning in at the same pace and time as Biana. Their foreheads pressed together, their noses tickling one another. "You had me until you said 'dress.'"  
  


Biana giggled again and it was honestly the best thing Sophie had ever heard. "I love the way you look all dressed-up, though. You won't do it that often. But you're just so pretty and I just love to stare and I want to kiss you whenever I. . ."  
  


"You're rambling," Sophie whispered, reaching up and cupping one side of Biana's face.  
  


"I am," Biana agreed, more-than-a-little shakily. "Want to kiss me to make me feel better?"  
  


Sophie laughed, both of their faces blooming in colour. "Why not."


	2. baby (solinh)

"Linh, be honest with me."  
  


Linh stared down at her girlfriend who was laying on the bed with her. Linh was sat up, leaning against headboard with an added pillow for support, Sophie's head laying on her tiny chest. Sophie was positioned in between Linh's legs, leaning back and nestling against her torso as Linh gazed down at her, twirling a few strands of her golden hair in thought.  
  


"What is it?" she asked, giving a curt nod to encourage Sophie to continue.

  
Sophie blew out a sigh. "I just. . ." Her cheeks tinted pink as she thought about the question she was about to ask. She was curious as to what Linh thought about it, but it was also extremely tempting to just chicken out a forget it all. Especially when she saw the way Linh's focus was entirely on her.

  
But then all those little cute thoughts began to plague her imagination all over again. And she'd start to daydream about it - about them - and just. . .  
  


"Did you ever want a kid when you were little?" she blurted.  
  


Linh blinked her blue eyes steadily, a bit surprised at the question. "Like. . ." She swallowed, her voice going hushed as she finished, "A baby?"  
  


Sophie nodded as best she could with her head leaned back against Linh's chest. She peered up at her girlfriend, silently awaiting her reaction.  
  


Linh blew out a breath. She seemed to squirm under Sophie's gaze. Sophie could feel that the fingers that were twined in her hair were shaking a little as they combed through the light locks. "Um, I don't know, Soph. Why do you ask?"  
  


Sophie blushed harder, taking a hold of the one hand that Linh had off to the side. She brought it up to her chest, nuzzling it with her face and kissing her knuckles. "Mm, I. . . I've just been thinking about that a lot, lately."  
  


She was really hoping Linh was getting where she was going with this. Because if she wasn't and it was too vague or cryptic, she was going to have to outright say it - and that made her nervous.  
  


Linh's eyebrows were lifted high on her face. "So, like, do you. . . Want a baby?"  
  


Sophie flushed a deep scarlet at how forward Linh was being. "I. . . Always imagined having a baby, when I was younger. I mean, not having a baby at a young age, but I thought about babies when I was younger. Or, I thought about a baby in my future." Sophie managed to fumble over the word baby every single time and she was sure she sounded like a babbling mess. And the colour of her face probably rivaled a fire truck.  
  


When Linh didn't comment on what her girlfriend had already stated, Sophie continued, "I've always wanted a kid. But I knew I didn't want to have sex with a guy. That was the funny thing. I didn't want to have a dick inside me, but I wanted a baby."  
  


Linh chuckled a little at that, brushing some hair off her forehead. It steadied her nerves a little and her shoulders relaxed.  
  


"And when I came here and started figuring everything out about myself. . . I told myself I was never going to have a kid."  
  


Linh's eyebrows furrowed together and she frowned. She opened her mouth to speak but Sophie squeezed her girlfriend's hand lightly, asking for her own permission to speak and continue going.  
  


Linh looked unhappy but clamped her jaw shut, dipping her chin.  
  


Sophie let out a shaky breath as she tried to turn a little to her side to allow herself to face Linh more. Linh helped her readjust, still holding Sophie in her arms.  
  


Once Sophie was settled she set her palm over Linh's heart and nestled her head into her shoulder, looking up at her. "I didn't want to have a kid be. . . Like me. I didn't want to put them at risk for anything because of some weird genetics that weren't their choice. I didn't want to make a kid deal with that. And I didn't know if birth would be complicated or just. . . Getting pregnant, period."  
  


She shrugged. "I even wanted to find something to make me infertile at one point. I wanted to prevent myself from even having the chance of getting pregnant. Just so that the temptation wasn't there."  
  


Linh reached up and cupped Sophie's face, skimming her thumb across her cheek. The supple skin tingled everywhere Linh touched.  
  


"But then I met you," Sophie whispered, meeting Linh's eyes. "I mean. . . I started dating you. A-And now I. . ."  
  


Sophie cut herself off, blushing wildly. She was sure Linh could feel the heat of her face with her palm.  
  


Lihn's cheeks turned a little rosy. "You. . . Want a baby with me?"  
  


"I want to know your thoughts on babies," Sophie clarified. She grabbed the hand that Linh had on her face, lacing their fingers together. "You know, before I let my mind run too wild and think we're having a kid. I. . . Want to know how you feel about all of this."  
  


Sophie looked so star struck for some reason, eyes filled with wonder and light as she talked about it all. She looked up at her so expectantly, excitedly waiting for her to answer. Linh couldn't help but heave out a heavy sigh, wincing. Her stomach spun with acid. "Sophie, I. . ."  
  


The light in Sophie's eyes all but flickered away, but she nodded. She massaged Linh's knuckles with their interlaced hands, beckoning for her to go on.  
  


Linh sighed again, wishing she didn't have to disappoint her girlfriend. "I find that really sweet, Sophie, but I've. . . Never wanted to carry a child. Getting a kid through some other way, sure, but having a baby with my own body just. . . I don't like it, to be honest with you. So if you want a baby with me, but you don't want to carry it because you're afraid of genetics or your own body, then. . ."  
  


Linh stopped. Sophie looked away.

  
" _But_ ," Linh continued, catching Sophie's attention again. Her eyes flashed up and locked with Linh's. "If it's any consolation, I. . . I really think you'd be a wonderful mother. And I think your body would do just fine with carrying a child. I know you think that it's broken, but you're not - you're fully put together. You're simply just a more complex puzzle, in comparison to others."  
  


She smiled sweetly, kissing her girlfriends forehead tenderly, causing Sophie's skin to bloom with more colour. "I don't mean to pressure you in any way with that statement, though. If you do not feel comfortable with carrying a child, then you don't. It's that simple. It's your body."  
  


Sophie nodded slowly, letting out a shaky breath. Linh shot a half-smile at her, hoping she hadn't dampened her girlfriend's mood.  
  


"So. . . Would you be willing to try that? To come to the doctor with me and. . . Try to have a baby?" Sophie whispered.  
  


"You want to carry a baby?" Linh asked, needing confirmation.  
  


"Yeah," Sophie assured softly. "I want to carry your baby. _Our_ baby," she mumbled, gesturing between the two of them. Her face was practically on fire.  
  


Linh was having a rough time keeping her composure together. "Wait, were actually doing this?" Her voice cracked, eyes welling up. "You wanna do this?"  
  


Sophie nodded, lip trembling as she pulled Linh's fingertips to her lips and kissed them. One by one, steady tears beginning to roll down her cheeks. "I want a family," she whispered.  
  


Linh's face broke into a smile, a few tears of her own slipping down her face. "Okay," she agreed. "Yes."


	3. do or die (kam)

The Neverseen were a never-ending problem. A wound that grew continually and festered.  
  


Yet, to say Keefe was surprised when he heard they'd been spotted mingling in a Forbidden City was a major understatement. Especially so when he heard that they'd be going there to investigate it.  
  


After scrambling feeds and going over a quick list of rules (don't touch this, don't mess with that, report back anything suspicious _immediately,_ and keep in contact at all times _,_ to name a few) they'd light-leaped to the tiny city.  
  


He watched Foster's silhouette disappear around a corner with Dex, before he and Tam started meandering around. Keefe kept observing the street lamps and simple buildings, loving the enamel decorations a few had on the outside. It was so beautifully decorated with cobblestone streets and hand-carved wooden signs outside of shops that Keefe couldn't stop staring. He could paint about this, he decided. There was so much to soak in, that he was sure he'd never be able to do the tiny town justice, though.  
  


Keefe rammed into Tam's back suddenly. The boy had stopped.  
  


"Hey," Keefe called, tapping his shoulder. "Bangs Boy, you goo–"  
  


Tam pointed into a shop that was still open. It was so early in the morning that half the shops were closed or vacant, but there was one on the end with light sifting out through the windows. Keefe followed Tam's finger to it, looking as a shadow passed across the cobblestone street over the light coming from inside the shop.  
  


A formless silhouette. A blob of darkness.  
  


Someone wearing a cloak.  
  


"Let's go," Keefe decided, grabbing Tam's hand before he could protest. He dragged him forward, ignoring his persistent tugging and cursing as he begged Keefe to allow him time to warn the others before they barged in.  
  


They slowed when they reached the shop on the corner, slinking past the windows and melting into the darkness against the oak doors. Breathing heavily, Keefe met Tam's eyes with a lazy smirk.  
  


"Ready?" he whispered.  
  


"You're going to get us killed."  
  


"You say that _every_ time."  
  


His smirk dissolved when they heard shuffling inside. They waited until the sound had faded for Tam to peek his head around the corner and peer into the shop.  
  


His dark eyebrows furrowed and for a moment that had Keefe wincing, expecting the worse, but Tam straightened and returned next to Keefe, shrugging. "No one's in there," he whispered.  
  


"What?"  
  


"I know. I don't see anybody." Silence settled between them until Tam added, "Maybe they're in one of the backrooms."  
  


Keefe looked him up and down leisurely. "Only one way to find out," he suggested, gripping the golden handle. His voice was playful, but his eyes were serious.  
  


Tam nodded, unsure at first, but then with conviction. Determination fizzled in his silver eyes. "Okay."  
  


Keefe blew out a breath, dipping his chin. he hesitated a fraction of a second before whipping the door open, swiftly striding inside with Tam behind. They went to back-to-back on instinct, swirling around, checking to see if there was anyone hiding in the corners.  
  


Their shoulders relaxed. "Where are they?"  
  


Keefe pursed his lips, eyebrows pressing together in confusion. "I don't know." His eyes drifted over to the aisles of shelves stocked with books. Keefe gestured to it subtly with his chin and Tam bobbed his head in agreement, again.  
  


They slunk towards the wooden shelves, and though Keefe knew it was a horrible time, his eyes caught sight of the detailed carvings done into the sides of them. They were elaborate, each one telling a story like a tapestry. Little people dining, fawns frolicking together, children laughing.  
  


Tam peeked his head cautiously into the first aisle, motioning for Keefe to follow when it was empty. They kept going down the line, glancing down the following aisle to ensure that it was empty before proceeding. The further they went, the closer they drew to the end, the more Keefe's chest tightened.  
  


Yet, when they reached the end, there was no sign of anyone. Not even any disturbances.  
  


Tam hummed softly, turning around and looking to the doorway again, where they had started. His sleek, elegant brows had crunched together.  
  


"Where did they go?" His voice was barely a whisper. More of a breath, and it took Keefe a couple of seconds to actually discern what he had said. The blond boy eventually shrugged his shoulders in response.  
  


In an instant, Tam caught sight of a hooded figure rounding a nearby corner in the shop. Another followed in tow, starting to approach fast.  
  


Sure enough, they must have been waiting in the backroom.  
  


He sucked in air between his teeth, grabbing Keefe's shirt in his fists. He harshly tugged him into an aisle, behind the shelves, shoving his back sharply into the wood. Keefe made a sound of dissatisfaction, opening his mouth to chew Tam out for it, when the blond noticed how wide Tam's eyes were. And they were blazing with urgency.  
  


"Kiss me," Tam ordered in a harsh whisper.  
  


" _What_?"  
  


"Don't act so appalled, _just–!"_ He cursed under his breath, snatching Keefe by the collar. Before Keefe could comprehend what was happening, he was pulled forward and Tam's mouth crashed over his own.  
  


Keefe squeaked at the contact, icy eyes wide and bulging.  
  


Tam moved his mouth against his, sliding his hands down to grab Keefe's waist to ensure their bodies pressed flush against one another. They were plastered together and Keefe knew Tam could probably feel Keefe's erratic heartbeat by the way his mood shifted to some sort of soft surprise.  
  


Tam tilted his head, giving more access and room to the both of them, mouths sliding together better. Keefe's eyes were droopy and he lifted his hands, pulling up Tam's hood to obscure his hair and their faces better. His hands ended up resting on Tam's cheeks - just to block their faces more, he told himself.  
  


Keefe screwed his eyes shut as the Neverseen members came around the corner, not wanting to see how it was going to play out. If he ended up getting shot then and there, so be it. This was the nicest way to go.  
  


He was suddenly very glad that they had worn human clothing, as their elvin clothes would have been an immediate dead-giveaway. Still, he shrunk under the feel of the burning stares, holding Tam close by his face.  
  


They weren't leaving. They were standing there. Staring.  
  


Keefe's heart thumped wildly in his chest as Tam gruffly became aware of that, too, anxiety coursing through him. He shifted quickly, too quickly for Keefe to process, and sunk his teeth into the blond's lower lip. It caused a gasp to erupt from Keefe, followed by him sinking into it and furrowing his eyebrows. A throaty groan escaped, which was swallowed by Tam pressing their lips together again.  
  


Keefe wanted to ask _why_ \- not that he hadn't enjoyed it. He had. A lot. - but then he heard someone awkwardly clear their throat before footsteps padded away slowly. That had been all they'd needed, apparently.  
  


When the door slammed shut behind two elves leaving the scene, Tam broke the kiss with a crude pop. Breathing heavily, they locked gazes for a brief moment before Tam stepped back. Keefe was more than disappointed to feel the boy's warmth seep away from his body.  
  


"Shit," he muttered, voice cracking. It was still hoarse from the intensity of the kiss.  
  


Tam's chest was heaving, eyes darting all over the store as he searched to make sure they were really gone. When he saw that they were definitely alone, he slumped back against the shelf behind him. He brushed the bangs off his forehead briefly, just for them to swish back into place. "Shit is right."  
  


"No," Keefe clarified, reaching up to brush a thumb over his mouth. His lips were still tingling with electricity, buzzing and reeling from the way Tam's mouth had molded with his own. "That kiss."  
  


Tam blinked. His alabaster cheeks painted over with pastel pink. "What about it?"  
  


"That was... _Intense_ ," Keefe admitted.  
  


Such a dull word to describe it. He felt like he was spinning.  
  


There were a few beats of silence before Tam asked, "Is that... bad?"  
  


Keefe had the audacity to laugh, running a hand through his hair. Their eyes met again, faces flushing full of heat in sync. "Nah," he said, hushed. "I don't think so."


	4. party (sokeefitz)

Having a celebratory get-together at Havenfield was an annual thing. A little party to commemorate their victory and remember their losses. It had always been something Sophie loved, but the year that she discovered her feelings was the one time the party seemed like a horrible idea; because not only did she have to see Keefe and Fitz cooped up in one place ( _with_ her, nonetheless) but she had to see them dressed up, too.  
  


And to put the icing on the cake that was her doom, she had to act like she _wasn't_ hot and bothered for the sake of everyone else in the house. (Mostly Grady).  
  


Sophie had been dating Keefe and Fitz for a couple of months, by then, but even though it was a fairly new revelation, everyone had always been able to see that there'd been something brewing between the three of them. They'd made it official after their feelings had accidentally been spilled one late December night and from then on they were inseparable.  
  


Well, inseparable to the point where no one else caught on to what was happening.  
  


They'd mutually agreed to keep their status on the down-low for a few months before breaking the news to anyone. Sophie had thought it wouldn't be that difficult, acting like they were still friends and such, but it was... Very, _very_ hard.  
  


Especially when she was in the middle of a party, letting her eyes wander over her two boyfriends.  
  


She'd seen hundreds of men in suits, but she knew nothing would ever compare to seeing Fitz Vacker all fine and tailored to perfection. She knew it was probably stupid, but she couldn't stop getting caught on the image of him readjusting the buttons at his wrists or the tie around his neck and oh, Eternalia, she couldn't handle when he shoved his hands in his pockets and looked so... So laid-back, yet pristine.  
  


Keefe was just as bad. Sophie had known that men in dresses was about as heavenly a concept as anyone could create, but seeing her boyfriend in one was somehow even higher. She couldn't get over the bodice snugly adorned to his torso or the way she could see his shoulders blades through the open back or the banded sleeves slipped around his biceps- Oh, _no_ , she could not look at his arms and think straight.  
  


On top of it, Keefe looked so proud and confident. Anytime he'd peer at her over the brim of his glass from across the room she felt her knees buckle. It definitely didn't aid her in anyway when he threw a smirk in.  
  


Sophie swore the two boys were physical incarnations of poison. They were trying to kill her.  
  


And they were succeeding.  
  


Sophie tried endlessly to distract herself with small talk, hoping Dex and Tam could save her from any wandering thoughts.  
  


But then she'd catch her mind tickling her with images of Keefe and Fitz and she'd be lost to a daydream.  
  


Sophie was only half-listening to Tam chatter heartily about something while she sipped on her drink. Absent-minded, she scanned her boyfriends' movements, watching the way they spoke and moved with grace.  
  


Sophie's heart leapt into her throat when Keefe caught her line of sight. She turned redder than the contents in her glass, sending him a shy wave. She instantly regretted the motion when his smile grew wider.  
  


Across the way, Keefe dismissed himself from whatever conversation he'd been engrossed in, picking up the skirts of his dress briefly to not step on any shoes. He made his way over to Fitz, managing to somehow drag him out of his own discussion, too. She raised a single eyebrow when Keefe grabbed Fitz's hand and started dragging him towards...  
  


Sophie's stomach dropped. They were walking towards _her_.  
  


Sophie struggled to scrap together every remaining piece of composure before Keefe and Fitz arrived. She tried to act surprised when she turned to them, ice cubes _tink!_ -ing around in her glass.  
  


Keefe extended a hand. "Can I bother you for a minute? We... need to have a talk."  
  


That didn't sound very much like Keefe. Sophie's stomach managed to sour a little at the edges. What if it was something serious?  
  


Then again, Keefe's mouth had a mischievous twitch to it. And upon closer inspection, Fitz seemed to be blushing.  
  


"Um," Sophie said. She turned to look at Dex and Tam. Thankfully they waved her off and assured her it was fine, though she did notice the glimmers of curiosity lingering behind their eyes. But she was just as clueless as they were.  
  


She set down her drink on the nearest table and slipped her hand into Keefe's outstretched one.  
  


Keefe began guiding Sophie and Fitz through Havenfield, eventually winding up at the base of the staircase. Keefe finally released their hands and waved for them to follow. Sophie shared a look with Fitz, raising a single questioning eyebrow. Fitz didn't appear to know what was happening either, shrugging as he started to make the ascent up the stairs.  
  


About halfway up, Sophie twisted her head to make sure no one was following them or within ear range before asking, "Where are we going?"  
  


"Your room, if you're okay with that."  
  


She blinked. "Uh, yeah," Sophie assured. She didn't have any clothes lying around or anything. She'd cleaned up before anyone had arrived. "But I still don't get what's going on."  
  


"You'll see."  
  


Fitz arched an eyebrow, sharing another look with Sophie. Sophie was the one to simply shrug that time, silently praying that there was nothing the matter. Praying that Keefe wasn't tugging both of them aside because of some issue he'd be keeping from them that he couldn't hold back any longer.  
  


Sophie got lost in her worries as they continued to follow Keefe up. She got so lost, in fact, that she almost missed Fitz's tiny outburst.  
  


Fitz made some sort of quipped sound, like a surprised laugh. He was all grin as he started, "Keefe, is that what you–"  
  


"Fitz, I swear, did you just–" Keefe looked back to his boyfriend, who was busy trying to hold back any laughter. "This is what I get for dating a Telepath."  
  


Fitz actually did manage to laugh at the remark. Sophie's attention flew between the both of them, making her nearly trip with her heels on the stairs. Navigating her feet and the conversation at the same time was more difficult than she would have guessed.  
  


"What is it?" Sophie asked. "What's going on?"  
  


"Don't tell her, Fitz, or I'm going to shove you down this staircase."  
  


Sophie doubted that Fitz could have formulated an answer even if he wanted to. He was too busy giggling and snorting and biting down on his lip in some attempt to keep it all at bay.  
  


When they reached Sophie's room, they all filed into the dark expanse. Sophie spun around when she reached the center. waiting for Keefe and Fitz to flick on the light and join her. Fitz did walk up and stand by her side, but Keefe let the light off and closed the door.  
  


Only pale moonlight filtered through the room, along with a tiny glow from a moon jar she'd accidentally left out on her desk. Sophie readjusted her eyes so that she could see the two of them better.  
  


"That's a lot of anxiety I'm feeling from you, Foster," he murmured when he reached her side.  
  


Sophie crossed her arms. "Yeah, because I have no clue what's going on."  
  


"It's nothing bad," Fitz assured. Though he'd calmed, he looked like he wanted to go for a round two of giggling and grinning.  
  


"It's not," Keefe agreed, feeling some of Sophie's doubt waft through the air. "Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you. I just needed someplace more private."

Sophie wanted to ask what that meant, but Keefe had already turned to Fitz. Keefe's voice wasn't scolding - more teasing - as he said, "Foster's going first because she didn't slip into my mind and ruin the surprise."  
  


Her eyebrows stitched together. "Going first for wh–"  
  


A hand slipped to cup the back of her neck. Before she could process what was happening, she was tugged gently forward. Sophie squeaked when Keefe's mouth layered over hers. At first. her eyes popped open, but when he readjusted the angle of his face, allowing their mouths to slot together more effortlessly, she fluttered her eyes closed. His hands reached up to hold her face, swirling steady circles on her cheeks.  
  


Oh, this was... Exactly what she needed. The past few hours had been torture, trying to deny herself what she wanted (which happened to be two boys).  
  


Keefe migrated from pressing kisses on her mouth to her cheek to her jaw, repeating the process all while talking. "You two," - _kiss_ \- "were being stupid," - _kiss_ \- "and getting me," - _kiss_ \- "on edge all night."  
  


Sophie could barely think straight when he pulled away. " _Us_ two?" she asked, embarrassed by the tiny squeak that was her voice. " _You_ two were driving _me_ up the wall."  
  


Fitz smiled. "Seems like we were all dealing with it, then."  
  


Keefe's hands slipped from Sophie's face and neck. "Don't you even get started," Keefe ordered, shaking his head as he took a step over to him. "I brushed up against your hand and you were excited. You knew what you were doing."  
  


Fitz didn't have time to argue as Keefe slipped his hands around the collar of Fitz's suit. He arched an eyebrow, gazing up at his boyfriend. He muttered, "Avery, I swear, if you get any taller I'm going to beat the height out of you."  
  


Fitz laughed as Keefe tugged him down a few inches, meeting in the middle. They kissed, short and simple and sweet, conveying all the love and longing they'd endured that night.  
  


Fitz slipped his hands to cup Keefe's face, beginning to filter his kisses over every open expanse. He pecked them over his mouth and his cheekbones and his forehead, all the way to the tip of his nose.  
  


"I hate you," Keefe murmured, tugging one more time on Fitz's collar so that their lips could connect.  
  


"Somehow I doubt that," Fitz replied, smiling when they parted.  
  


They stayed in each other's close embrace after that, grinning at each other like two dorks in the dark. Keefe's eyes trailed back to Sophie at one point, though, noticing how she was still standing there rather numbly. Fitz slipped one arm around Keefe and opened the other, outstretching his hand.  
  


"Sophie, c'mere."  
  


Sophie blinked. She was still breathless. Still reeling from the shock of it all. Her lips buzzed with the reminder.  
  


She took the few steps required to meet them, glad to feel both their arms wrapped around her as they all huddled close in a circle. Sophie met Keefe's eyes. " _That's_ what you pulled us away for?"  
  


"I missed you," Keefe defended. "Sue me."  
  


"Suing," Fitz assured, pecking the top of Keefe's head. Keefe rolled his eyes - but he was smiling.  
  


Sophie couldn't muster her own. Fitz seemed to notice, peering over at her.  
  


Fitz chuckled softly. He lifted his hand to place two fingers gently on her chin. "Sophie, you good?" He bent down and pressed a kiss over her mouth. "You look a little dazed."  
  


She didn't doubt that one bit. She wouldn't be surprised if her pupils were dilated. Or if she couldn't walk properly after they returned to the party.  
  


Sophie looked him up and down from head to toe leisurely. She swallowed. Sophie met his eyes. "Keefe is right, you need to stop growing."  
  


Fitz and Keefe laughed.


	5. road trip (sokeefitz)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> warnings: mention of vomit, sickness, violence

The end began when the Human Assistance Program was re-introduced.

Sophie had settled the elven world a few thousand years back (she’d been counting, not wanting to lose track of the day she’d truly found peace) and she’d been living as normally as she could ever since, juggling life as a woman, a Regent, a daughter, a friend -- even a girlfriend.

She’d pushed to have the program reinstated. Pushed and pushed and pushed until finally, a few Emissaries agreed. With guidelines, of course; If she could monitor and document humans for a few months and return with thorough proof that they’d made improvement since the last time the program was cut off, she could bring the matter to the Council.

All her friends were a huge help. Assisted her with surveillance and articles and even a few stake-outs. Fast forward to a few years later, the elves had come out of hiding and ties with humans had been made again. The two species had just barely begun to mend old wounds and create allies with one another before they broke apart again.

Only this time, not by either sides’ choice.

It started two years after the elves integrated themselves back into the Forbidden Cities.

“It” being the disease. The end.

The first death barely made a dent in the world. The very first recorded woman to die of the virus was practically overlooked -- the media didn’t bat an eye. It was one case. One fluke in the system. What did it matter? She was in her 60′s, anyway and that marked her as more susceptible to infection or disease.

They were kind of right. She had been vulnerable, but not because of her age, like they thought. And she hadn’t caught influenza, like they’d originally deemed.

From there the first cluster of deaths started to gain traction. The world began to panic as news flooded over the globe. Like a steady poison, people gradually learned that there was a new infection, an unnamed killer spreading around, curiously targeting women.

And it moved fast. Once a victim showed symptoms, they were dead within the next couple of hours.

There were only four stages of the plague;

Phase One: Sweating, difficulty focusing, fever, headaches/migraines, abdominal pain.

Phase Two: Vomiting, impaired reasoning, distortion of reality.

Phase Three (Critical): Difficulty breathing/pain in the chest, throat, or stomach, difficulty swallowing/refusal to eat, complete breakdown of rational faculties; erratic behavior; violent thoughts and fantasies; hallucinations and delusions.

Phase Four (Fatal): Emotional or physical paralysis (partial or total); Death.

Once the humans finally got around to panicking and taking action, the elves were still stuck in their own blissful bubble of naivety, assuming because of their “higher” genetics that surely they were safe. Hell, they didn’t even have allergies like humans did. What was a little human plague going to do to them?

Their even-mannered state of mind eroded when the first elven child contracted the disease.

Within a matter of months the globe dissolved into chaos. With a 50% death rate, the virus moved and worked fast -- faster than doctors could keep up with. A cure was never invented.

The world suffered a loss of over half its population.

Hundreds of jobs left silent (the medical industry suffered the most).

Thousands of families torn apart (homes were left empty and abandoned).

Millions of graves (Suicide rates skyrocketed, too. Some of the loss was too much for the ones left behind to bear.)

But some victims survived.

A few managed to isolate themselves from the any human or elven contact entirely. Since none had yet to resurface, rumors spread faster than wildfire. Many weren’t convinced the society of women existed, but some men insisted there were underground quarantine safe houses that they supplied with food and necessities.

Very little recovered once infected, but there were some glitches in the system. It happened an odd number of times, where a girl would get sick and make a full recovery weeks later.

However, there was one female that was immune -- completely and totally safe from the devastating effects of the virus.

And one fateful day, a single immune female turned to two.

* * *

**- _Eight Years Ago_**

It looked like salmon. Orange and pinkish. Or maybe it looked like the salmon-flavoured cat food she used to give Marty and not actual salmon. Either way, it was disgusting and it smelled vile.

Vomiting on its own wasn’t pleasant, but this held a different weight to it. She knew what it meant, this time. This wasn’t just a stomach bug she’d contracted: she was sick.

 _Sick_ sick.

What was she going to tell them? She didn’t so much as have any answers to give them because she didn’t have a clue how she’d gotten it. Keefe and Fitz had tried so hard to keep her cooped up in the apartment, thinking that maybe if she waited it out, maybe if she isolated herself from contact, she wouldn’t be at such a high risk.

Evidently that tactic didn’t work.

In the background, Sophie heard the front door open. Keefe began talking and soon she heard Fitz chatting back - something about helping out with cleaning off the fruit and disinfecting everything. It took Sophie a minute, but in her haze she remembered Keefe had been gone at the store picking up some groceries for them before she’d started feeling sick.

And Fitz had noticed, but she’d brushed him off and insisted she was okay.

And then she’d wound up in the bathroom. . .

Her numb hand lifted to the silver lever. When she pulled, the salmon swirled in the toilet, down down down until she could no longer see it. Sophie forced herself to stand on her shaky legs, ignoring the way her knees nearly buckled.

Sophie turned on the faucet. She cupped some water in her hands, wiping off her mouth and splashing her face once in hope of it clearing her mind. It didn’t. She dried her face with a towel, flicking the light off before exiting the bathroom.

From the hallway she had a straight view to the front door. Keefe had plastic bags in his hands. He was working on kicking off his shoes as Fitz took a few of the bags. That was when he noticed her.

Sophie didn’t respond to his greeting. But she did notice how Keefe and Fitz shared a look, smiles faltering.

“Hey, Foster. You alright? You’re not feeling too good.” He looked her up and down. “Peanut bothering you?”

Sophie couldn’t even smile at the nickname. Keefe had gotten accustomed to calling the baby growing in her “Peanut” as opposed to “the baby”. He’d decided on “Peanut” since, at the time, Sophie had been in her earlier weeks and they’d only been the size of a peanut.

Her hand trailed to coddle her bump. Sophie numbly shook her head.

Fitz frowned. “Babe, what’s up?”

She licked her lips. She forced herself to hold their eyes. “I’m sick.”

Fitz dropped the bags in his hands. The groceries spilled out onto the floor. She watched an apple roll a foot before coming to a stop on the tile.

“What?”

“Sick,” she repeated. She ran a single hand over her stomach, knowing the motion was enough to seal the single-word explanation.

Both of her boyfriends looked like they’d been frozen in time. Shock coursed through their handsome features, bleeding to anguish, then slowly coming to an end in raw sorrow.

Keefe was the first to move. The motion was a furious shake of his head. “No.” His voice came out hard as stone.

“Keefe--”

“No, you’re not sick. You’re not--” His voice broke. “You’re not _sick_. You’re just. . . You’re just regular sick.”

Sophie opened her mouth to argue, but didn’t get the chance to before Fitz interjected, “You can’t be sick.” He sounded ghostly. His voice was a shaky whisper. “We were careful.”

Sophie frowned. “We were really careful,” Sophie agreed, trying to be gentle with them. But her hands were shaking. “But. . . they aren’t even sure all the ways it’s spreading. We don’t know if it’s transmitted by touch or if it’s airborne or. . .” She cut herself off when her throat constricted from oncoming tears. Keefe and Fitz looked like they were in the same state, eyes glittering.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“Don’t say you’re _sorry_ ,” Fitz choked. He stepped over all the spilled fruits and cans, pulling her into his arms. Sophie nuzzled into his shoulder, feeling a few of the tears burning her eyes spill out onto her cheeks.

“We could go find a doctor back home,” Fitz suggested into her hair. His hands were shaky on the small of her back.

“Elixirs can’t fix this. You know that. They already tried.”

“They’re still trying,” he corrected. “They could find something we don’t know about.”

“Within a few hours?” Sophie’s voice came off as exhausted. She shook her head in a similar tired manner. “We can’t. They can’t. It’s. . . It’s too late.”

Fitz pulled back slightly to gaze down at her. He sucked in a shaky breath, grasping her face in his palms. Sophie lifted her hands and covered them over Fitz’ as he gently swiped at the tears streaking down her cheeks. “What about Elwin?” he asked, voice wobbling. “He’s always been able to fix things.”

Sophie’s mouth quirked gently, just enough to brighten her eyes, but not enough to lift her face. She shook her head softly. She didn’t need to say no to him. He already knew.

Sophie sniffled, rubbing her thumbs across the backs of his hands as she tilted her head to the right so that she could spot Keefe. From the corner of her eye, he didn’t look like he’d moved much. Really, he hadn’t moved at all. He was still frozen to the same spot she’d found him in, staring numbly at her and Fitz. The fruits remained in the same space, too. Keefe still had one grocery bag fisted in his hand.

“Keefe,” Sophie called softly. “Come here.”

He blinked. Once. Twice. Then he looked up at her. “No.”

 _“Keefe_ ,” Sophie begged, voice quivering.

“It doesn’t mean you’re sick. You don’t have to be _sick_ sick. You’re pregnant. This could just be regular sick.” His voice cracked halfway through, face breaking for the first time. Lines wove through his delicate features and his eyes blurred with tears.

“I don’t want you to die,” he rasped.

“Keefe,” she choked for the second time, holding out a hand.

Keefe dropped the bag in his hand without a second glance. He navigated the minefield of canned food and vegetables, scooping Sophie’s free side into his embrace once he reached her. Nuzzled between the two boys, Sophie shuddered.

“You can’t say it’s too late,” Keefe persisted through a hiccup. He buried his face into her hair. “You can’t just say it’s too late without trying.”

Fitz’s arms cinched tighter around her. Most likely because he was trying to reach Keefe at the same time. She couldn’t tell, though, her face in Fitz’s shoulder.

“The probability that anything could be done at this point is too low.”

“But it’s not _zero_ ,” he pushed. His body quivered behind her.

Sophie’s chin wobbled. She sucked in an uneven breath, trying to keep herself from getting Fitz covered in tears and snot before she reached down and held onto Keefe’s hands splayed around her belly.

“It’s. . . It’s close enough, babe. Too close. I’m sorry.” She squeezed his fingers with hers. He squeezed back, but didn’t loosen his grip immediately. In fact, it took a few minutes of standing there, quiet sniffles and crying reverberating around the entryway before Sophie had the courage - and the strength - to speak again.

Her voice was still vibrating as she whispered, “When. . . When it’s morning, you need to take me to the hospital. I’m far enough in that they could do something for the kid - an emergency C-section, maybe. You’ve got to try.”

An unintelligible whine came from one of them. An ugly, painful sound. “Sophie, don’t--”

“I’m serious,” she urged. “You _have_ to try. You have to promise me you’ll try. You won’t even have to move me. They’ll come out with a stretcher and everything if you just--”

“ _Foster_.”

Fitz’s hands were shaky in her hair and Keefe’s hands on her abdomen were just the same. She took that as her cue to slow it down. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, feeling their chests shiver and vibrate with their weak attempts to keep the sobbing to a minimum. Her lip quivered and she reached up to wipe her nose. “I just want you to try. Please.”

Fitz ignored it, for a second. “It could be a mistake.”

Sophie shook her head. “I don’t think it is.”

“It _could_ , though, Foster,” Keefe added.

Sophie managed a choked laugh. “Yeah, I guess. If I. . .” Her throat tightened. A few tears streaked down her cheeks. “If I, um, wake up in the morning you can tell me told you so.”

Keefe made another sound behind her and Sophie couldn’t decipher whether it was that of a laugh or a whimper.

Sophie felt Fitz press a few kisses onto her head which made her lips crack into a sad, weak smile. She sniffed, rubbing at her blurry eyes. “What do you guys want for dinner?”

Both of their chests shook with bubbled laughter. “Whatever you want,” Fitz said, running a hand down her back.

“You always pick good,” Keefe agreed, kissing her shoulder before laying his head down on it.

Sophie’s chest tightened. The smile grew on her face and she blinked back more tears. “Can we, um, can we spend the rest of the night in the car? Then you won’t have to move me if. . .”

“Okay,” Keefe and Fitz said in unison.

“Thank you,” she croaked.

The remainder of the evening moved by fast - faster than she could process. She’d never understood why people mentioned time going past in a blur until then.

All too soon they’d cooked food, all too soon they’d gathered blankets and pillows, and all too soon they were huddled in the backseat of the car. They ate spicy noodles in silence, legs and hands tangled together.

They only got halfway through the meal before they all started crying again.

Sophie didn’t know who started it, but they all had to give up and put their bowls aside in the front seat so that they didn’t spill. They held each other for a few hours. They returned to their cold meals when the moon shone bright overhead, silently sipping and slurping with puffy eyes.

Eventually, they fell asleep.

Keefe was the first to wake up the following morning. The sun was bright and made the car hot and sticky. Whatever time it was, they’d slept in late. Probably because they’d stayed up far too early.

It took him a few seconds to become adjusted to where he was and why he was there, but soon his eyes landed on Sophie and Fitz.

And Sophie was still breathing.

She stayed that way the next day, too. And the next. And the next. She stayed that way until they brought a new member of the family into the world in the back bedroom of their tiny apartment - a girl.

And when their baby continued to breathe, too, they knew things would one day be alright.

* * *

**- _Present_**

Something whapped her leg. Sophie flinched, groaning as someone made a seething sound.

_Sorry, sorry. Sleep. It’s okay. You can sleep._

She recognized that voice. She’d recognize that voice anywhere, even without the noticeable accent.

“Fitz,” Sophie whined.

A defeated grumble echoed in the tiny space. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, sighing. “Good morning.”

Sophie blinked, trying to get her eyes to adjust to the sunlight streaming in through a crack in the curtains. Fitz was sitting up near her, clearly struggling to shuffle throughout the blankets and sleeping bags strewn over the floor.

He smiled at her briefly and it quickly morphed into something sheepish. “Venus wanted his book, so I came to grab it. Didn’t mean to make as much sound as I did. Or, you know, kick you.”

Sophie blearily glanced at the worn paperback book in Fitz’s hand. “Is’okay,” she promised, hoping he ignored the way her voice was a low rasp.

“Think there’s any chance you could get back to sleep?”

Sophie shook her head. Even if she made sure all the curtains were closed over the van’s windows and somehow the metal walls of the vehicle suddenly became soundproof, there was no way she was getting back to sleep. That was just the law of her body. If she was up, she was up. No discussion.

“Sorry.”

“It’s fine, I should probably get up anyway.” Sophie stretched out her legs and sat up, grateful when her body didn’t retaliate with any aching bones or muscles. “Where are Venus and Nova?”

“With Keefe,” Fitz assured. “We moved away from the van so we wouldn’t risk waking you up, but, that didn’t really work out.”

Sophie nodded, humming an, “Mm,” in confirmation as she ran a tired hand down her face to hide her yawn. “Did you guys eat?”

Fitz cracked an unexpected smile. “Yeah, but, funny story,” he began, already laughing lightly. “Venus wanted me to cook him a porkchop over the fire and I told him no because, well. . .” Fitz gestured to himself like that summed it up.

Despite her exhaustion, Sophie started laughing softly with him. Sophie had never quit (occasionally) indulging in animal products, when they’d been reintroduced to the Lost Cities. Fitz and Keefe, however, had stayed strict to the diet they’d grown up with (even if it was more difficult because of the limited array of human vegetables and fruits).

Novalee and Venus both caught on to their parent’s eating habits at young ages, knowing they’d only get to eat anything animal-related if they asked their mom.

Sophie snorted with laughter. “Why’d he even bother asking you?”

“Keefe thinks he just wanted you up. You know how he is.”

She did. Venus had always been fairly attached to her. It wasn’t as if he didn’t do well with Keefe or Fitz -- he loved both of his dads -- but there was a slight chance he preferred his mother.

Sophie smiled, shaking her head. “Well, I’m up, now.”

“You are, yeah. Morning.” Fitz bent forward and slipped a hand behind her neck, pressing a kiss to her forehead. He leaned back, grinning. “What do you want for breakfast? Could make you a porkchop.”

Sophie had almost missed the tease, distracted by the way he circled his thumb along the hairline at the base of her neck. She rolled her eyes, eliciting laughter from Fitz. “Get out,” she said, playfully shoving his shoulder.

His chuckling only increased at that, though he did listen, slipping his hand away from her and crawling out the rear door. He faced her once he hopped out, outstretching a hand for her. Sophie grabbed a loose hair tie and pinned up her hair before taking his hand and letting him help her out.

Outside, Sophie could instantly smell the fire. A few feet away from the van, a blaze had been started, a couple of logs and a blanket laid out in a circle around it. Keefe wasn’t too far off from the area. She watched as he, Nova, and Venus scuffled around through the brush, giggling and panting. Probably playing tag, from the looks of it.

Fitz went to fiddle with the fire while Sophie stood and watched the kids, smiling. At one point Nova was picked and when she went to tag Venus (the obvious target, since he had the smallest legs and therefore took the slowest strides) she miscalculated the amount of force and sent Venus slamming down to the ground.

Fitz and Sophie winced. Keefe jogged over to him and scooped him up, tears and dirt and all. “Novalee,” Keefe said.

“I didn’t try!”

“Well, then what do you say?”

Novalee apologized as Venus continued to sniffle -- rather dramatically, Sophie noted. She shook her head, lips quirking. She felt bad for him, she really did, but sometimes he had the tendency to lay it on thick for sympathy.

“You’re fine, Venus. Come here. Dad got your book.”

Venus pouted in Keefe’s arms, only growing more deflated when his eyes landed on his mom. “Mom, did you see that? Nova--”

“I saw it and I said you’re going to be just fine.”

“Mm, don’t know about that, Mommy,” Keefe countered, inspecting Venus’ knees. He brushed off some of the dirt and pursed his lips. “Nope, you’re not fine.”

“See!” Venus howled.

Sophie gave Keefe an exasperated look, practically asking why he was stoking the fire willingly, when his mouth twitched. “Yep,” he continued, “looks like we’re gonna have to cut it off.”

Venus’ reaction was instant. “No!” he wailed. “No, I don’t want to!”

When he started flailing in Keefe’s embrace and looked ready to sob, Keefe tightened his hold and laughed. “Wait, wait! I’m kidding! Venus, bud, I’m joking. It’s okay.”

Fitz piped up with, “Dad needs to stop being an. . .” trailing off at the right time so that he could mouth ‘asshole’, eyes glittering as he looked at Keefe.

“I joke like that all the time! You know this already!”

“ _Good news_ is,” Sophie interjected, strolling over to Keefe and Venus. “You can move your legs, apparently.”

“Yeah, all that squirming and you nearly took my eye out.”

Venus laughed. Keefe rolled his eyes and lowered him to the ground. The moment he touched down, he went on his way to pester Fitz for his book.

Venus and Nova were polar opposites in that way -- Novalee had a vendetta for reading, but it was more than half of all the things Venus was interested in doing. Every so often they’d be travelling, make a stop, and stumble across a library -- and Venus would beg to be able to look at the books and trade in a few of his old ones for new volumes.

Sophie guessed it was because he liked learning about the Before. Getting a taste of what life was like and what people had thought.

“You look tired,” Keefe observed, hands on his hips.

Sophie looked at his heaving chest. “So do you. You sure running around and getting sweaty is a good idea?”

“No,” he admitted. He grinned. “But it gets the kids tired.”

“You wanna be careful with how tired you make them, though,” Sophie warned. “Otherwise they’re going to take a nap and then be up all night.”

“. . .Fair.”

Sophie smiled and grabbed his shirt collar to pull him forward. She quickly pecked him, retreating back to the fire. Novalee and Keefe chattered in the background as she shuffled to sit next to Venus. Fitz had sat nearby, at some point, as well.

“Learn something new?” she asked Venus, hoping it would get him talking. She shared a look with Fitz, nodding as her son started searching for an answer.

 _You look antsy_ , she transmitted.

 _We’re kind of low on fue_ l, Fitz replied.

Sophie got delayed in responding, trying to juggle having to answer Venus and Fitz. Once she finished with her son, she replied, _I thought we went into town just a little while ago?_

 _Keefe was planning to,_ Fitz admitted, _but he never got around to it. Wouldn’t hurt to get a bit more food, either. Fill up the waterbottles. . ._

_That means we’d have to move towns again._

_I know, but it’s not like we planned on staying here for much longer. You know it’s risky to do that._

She sighed, reaching up to brush a hand down her head. _I should cut my hair soon._

 _That might help_ , Fitz agreed. _But we’ve been doing just fine without it. Hoodies work wonders._ He smiled.

_Yeah, they do, but only for a little bit. And only from a distance. I should probably get a binder, too--_

“Are you two talking?”

Sophie blushed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to ignore you, baby.” She mussed Venus’ hair. “You can keep talking. I’ll listen.”

Venus gave them a skeptical look before he launched back into his info-dump. This time Sophie did derail all her attention from Fitz and the fuel issue to Venus, listening as he heartily shared little tidbits from the book.

After a minute, Fitz rose and sent a quick transmission. _I’m going to get fuel. I’ll stay in contact. Watch the kids -- I don’t trust Keefe._

Sophie smirked. _No problem. Stay safe._

Venus barely noticed Fitz walk off to the van to get his jacket as he continued to talk and read little excerpts to Sophie. Novalee and Keefe were busy doing whatever behind Sophie, so she sent a quick update to Keefe, who also gave the thumbs-up.

Fitz disappeared into the trees, walking to town, and for a few minutes, everything in the camp remained steady. Peaceful.

“Mom?”

“Hm?” Sophie asked.

“Why do our Dads do that?”

Sophie’s eyebrows scrunched up. “Why do our Dads do what?”

“They leave us here,” Venus explained. “And you cover up.”

Nova’s panting got louder behind Sophie as she approached. Sophie peeked back to see her looming, hands on her hips, hair stuck to her forehead with sweat. “We talked about this, Venus, remember?”

“Well, I forgot,” he whined.

“You talked about it?” Keefe asked, switching the subject back around as he jogged up.

Sophie was a bit surprised, too. “When?”

“When Venus checked out the teenage puberty book or whatever. We were reading it together and he was asking me questions and. . .” Nova trailed off.

Keefe encouraged, “It’s fine, Nova, we’re not angry.”

“No,” Sophie assured, looking at Venus and her to make sure they knew it. “No, I just. . . Didn’t know you’d had a talk about it.”

Novalee nodded, still a little sheepish. “He asked about some pregnancy things in the book and I explained, so it made sense, and then that got into binary sex talk and. . .” Nova shrugged. “I just told him what you told me. About, um. . .”

Venus snuggled up against Sophie’s arm. “Men take advantage of girls.”

Sophie blinked softly. “Some men do,” she agreed, nodding. She stroked his hair. “They’re. . . angry. There’s not many women left. So. . . they might try to hurt Nova and I if they know.”

“Yeah,” he muttered. “I remember now.”

“I’m sorry--” Novalee began.

“No,” Keefe started, wrapping an arm around her. “It’s not your fault. We should’ve told him, we just. . . I don’t know, we figured we should wait until he brought it up.”

“I’m sorry, Nova, that shouldn’t go on you,” Sophie agreed, holding her eyes. She peered to Venus, who looked pretty helpless all curled up against her side. “I’m sorry for not telling you myself, Venus, that’s my fault, too. I didn’t want to scare you. It was just. . . Normal for you. To see me covered up. And to hide the fact that I was different. It always has been normal, ever since you were little, so I didn’t think you’d be curious about it until later and then I could bring it up.”

He shrugged. “I don’t care. Just don’t like it. Doesn’t make sense.”

“Doesn’t,” Keefe empathized. “But we should have been the ones to tell you. And Mom and Nova are safe - we don’t have to worry. That’s why we’ve got an escape plan for every place we stay at and that’s why we’ve got codes--”

_Red._

Sophie and Keefe stiffened.

 _Red_ , Fitz transmitted again, more urgent this time.

“. . .Are you okay?” Novalee asked.

Sophie snapped out of it first. “Red,” was all she had to say before Venus and Novalee jumped into action. Keefe helped Sophie to her feet as the two kids started gathering blankets and books and utensils, running to cram them into the back of the van. Sophie and Keefe worked on dousing the fire, scattering the coals and logs as best they could before Fitz ran around the corner, out of breath.

Sophie knew they didn’t have time to stop and talk, so she decided to multitask as he poured new fuel into the tank.

Why is it Red? she pressed, opening a channel between the three of them. Keefe started helping pack the clutter into the van, so Sophie went to wrangle the kids and help them get settled.

_There’s a man who knew about you. Or knew you were. . ._

_How’d he know about Foster?_ Keefe asked, voicing exactly what Sophie had been thinking.

_Must have been hanging around our camp at some point. Remember how the kids mentioned hearing something?_

_They thought it was a raccoon_ \--

 _Apparently not_ , Fitz mumbled.

 _How the fuck did this happen?_ Keefe cursed. _Did he tell anyone?_

_Not from what I could tell._

“Mom, you’re talking apart from us again,” Venus whined, clearly agitated. His lip quivered and Sophie frowned, struggling to throw the blankets and sleeping bags on top of him and Nova. That was their quick getaway plan, if they had the van as an option -- Sophie and Venus and Nova would crawl into the back, lay on the floor, and cover themselves. Keefe and Fitz would take the front.

Keefe hopped into the driver’s, starting it up as Sophie piled in. She closed the door behind them and settled down in between the two kids while the engine rumbled. “Sorry,” she apologized, snuggling up to Venus. Nova was pressed against her back, shaking. “You don’t have to be scared, it’s just in case. There isn’t anyone here, we’re just leaving early.”

“It was a man again,” Novalee stated.

“It was,” Sophie confirmed.

“It’s always a man.”

“Or men,” Venus whispered.

“Shh,” Sophie ordered, shushing the two of them. “Have to be quiet, remember?”

Fitz got into the passenger side of the car, putting the fuel at his feet.

And they drove.


End file.
